emberseriesfandomcom-20200214-history
Eli Zurikova
Eli Zurikova, born Eli Juris Zurikova to Dzidra and Nikolai Zurikova in Riga, Latvia in 1922, is the youngest moroi with a first-tier echelon seat on the Council, and was the youngest diplomatically elected High Inquisitor for the Seattle branch of the Highest' Council. He is known for his unquenchable hunger, and his prodigious powers of compulsion and mind control, second only to his mother. Background Early Life Eli was, for all intents and purposes, a spoiled child, with a frightening temper. He was born in Riga, Latvia, a sleepy little hollow in the early 1900's, and spent most of his time with his father, exploring the nearby towns and forests and accompanying his father on his research regarding the philosopher's stone and the forbidden alchemy, during a time where the moroi were allowed to use alchemy. Eli had always been an obedient child, listening closely and doing what he could to please his parents. World War II and Pavils During the great famine to sweep over Latvia, the Zurikovas found it difficult to satisfy their young child's hunger. Unable to control his emotions, Eli threw a tantrum, destroying an entire village of men, women and children, killing everything in sight, something that he had done a number of times before growing older. During his adolescence, Eli tried to make amends by saving townspeople of less fortunate cities across Latvia and Europe, as he fled with his mother across Europe to Berlin. Coming across a human town that his father and Deryan Olanescu had used to birth a philosopher's stone, Eli had felt pity for a young orphaned child by the name of Pavils, and had requested that he keep the child as a friend, after saving him from Deryan Olanescu. After Dzidra Zurikova learned of Deryan and her husband's involvement in World War II, and the creation of strigoi and the moroi ''poison known as the ''red purge, Dzidra used her husband as an example and murdered him and hid his writings to protect her family from the wrath of the Council, betraying the Olanescu's and washing their hands of any affiliation. The Stanek-Zurikova Alliance Eli Zurikova was pressured to be married into the moroi Zurikova familial structures from a young age, but due to his disinterest in women and romance, he was able to skirt his mother's pleas for quite some time, until none of his relatives were available for marriage. He had been promised to Moira Stanek as a diplomatic tool to sway the Stanek's vote away from the Olanescu's, and was engaged from her, but refusing to marry her. Meeting Raveni Ijal ''and the Ourobouros Myth Under investigation for illicit affairs by Granville Wetherby, Raveni ''ijal Kallista Graye was tasked with performing an investigation on a known blood-well belonging to the Zurikovas. Eli was immediately smitten by Kallista, having noticed her during her trials but thinking nothing of it, it wasn't until he met her in person did he realize she would become a very valuable ally. Due to the urging of his mother Dzidra, Eli pursued a friendship with Kallista Graye, going off the suspicion that Kallista may be the Ouroboros. However, he soon fell in love with her, initially an unrequited love, he went out of his way to assist her in her own pursuit of the truth. Kallista used their friendship to ask favors of him which he would be required to use compulsion, and she offered up her blood to help him, thus making him a true immortal, a fact not known until the events of Oblivion. Breaking Out of the Council Vaults, and The Quest for the Philosopher's Stone Eli used his friendship with Albrecht in order to sabotage Deryan Olanescu and Abaddon's plans to break Kallista out of the Council vaults after her arrest, and spent the next six months travelling with her across Europe to keep her hidden from the Council and to help her come to terms with being turned, all the while pursuing leads that would lead them to the Sword of Mikhail and his father, Nikolai Zurikova's research on the philosopher's stone. He blamed himself for Kurai's intervention who captured Kallista and with Deryan Olanescu, forced her to resurrect the deceased Raveni Ysera, Karla Graye. During this time, his mother Dzidra used Eli's affection for Kallista in order to manipulate her into locating the Sword of Mikhail. They soon learned that the sword in Granville Wetherby's position was a fake, and as thus exposed Kallista's immortality to him. Dzidra used Kallista's state as a true immortal and her affinity to using the forbidden breath to sway the moroi populace to vote her into power during the Inquisitorial elections of 2008. After Dzidra assumed power, she continued to use Kallista by violent coercion to locate her late husband's research on the philosopher's stone. Dzidra then forced Eli to perform compulsion on Granville Wetherby, causing him to take his own life, and as thus relegating the seat of High Inquisitor to Eli. This caused the greatest divide between Eli and Kallista, as she felt betrayed and that had been his intention all along. Reign as High Inquisitor, Saving the Fallen Ophanim After being appointed High Inquisitor, Eli was forbidden to speak with Kallista, driving him into a deep depression. He was then forced to marry Moira Stanek, and had sex with her on their wedding night, which lead Eli even further into his depression, to which he had even contemplated suicide. Kallista, attempting to use violence to get Eli to save Kurai from his catatonia, relinquished her assassination attempt after finding the grieving Eli on his balcony. The two reconnected, but their friendship was short-lived, Eli resolving that he could no longer be her friend if he were to save Kurai. Unknown to Kallista, Eli had intended to trade places with Kurai, offering up his life for his, hoping that using his compulsion to such regard would result in his death. Eli is horrified when he learns that he has become a true immortal and acts out violently to Kallista, hurting her in the process and then having Dante Alexander intervene. Personality Eli is an overly emotional, very empathetic moroi, who is viewed as immature, being the youngest moroi with a powerful seat on the Council. He abhors violence, and will likely stand by and allow for violence to happen around him without participating. Unlike his family, he does not torture his victims, but he has an innate desire to inflict pain, a trait that he both hates and fears about himself. Eli is sometimes viewed as cowardly, decidedly never indulging in violent acts unless he must to protect those he cares about. He is a fiercely loyal creature, but is easily controlled by his mother. His fear of his mother's powers and his self-doubt make him appear traitorous and self-serving in nature. Eli acts spoiled at Council galas, not wanting to bear the responsibilities laid on him by bearing the Zurikova name. Because of this, he has perfected the persona of having a short and volatile temper, creating the illusion of fear across not only the Council and other moroi, but to his family as well. He is a sweet-talker and undeniably charming, a trait that he uses to get his way. His everyday actions usually revolve around sating his hunger. He is a self-described romantic when it comes to courting Kallista Graye. He is always courteous and open to her, even admonishing his own values in order to please her. Appearance Eli is always well-groomed, and appears thin, but is in actual fact quite toned and quietly muscular. He has bright copper hair, and after Kallista uses him as a siphon for her magic, a white streak appears in his bangs. He usually has his hair combed back, with slight slicked bangs covering his forehead. He has soft, angular features, that makes him appear a lot younger than he is. His eyes are normally ruby red, predominantly brighter than other moroi due to his wealth and his hunger. Powers and Abilities Like most moroi, Eli is naturally gifted with supernatural strength and speed. However, due to his family's lineage and their ties to the Council, Eli is an expert in using compulsion and is capable of manipulating memories and using mind-control, abilities reserved solely to the Zurikova bloodline of moroi. Eli serves the Council by using his gifts in order to extract prophecies from seers, and interrogate criminals of the state, something he does not enjoy doing. Relationships Relationship with Kallista Graye "Though I wish to ease your suffering, I am sure you are too proud to let me be a distraction, even if that is all I ever could be." ― 'Eli to Kallista '''Cinder Eli was smitted by Kallista Graye after first laying eyes on her. Originally completely disinterested in sex, and women, Eli ignored his emotions, and it wasn't until he met Kallista in person that he became irrevocably in love with her. Their relationship was, for a great deal of time, very one-sided, Eli feeling an unrequited love for her, and Kallista feeling guilty for spending time with him when her heart wasn't ready for him. Eli maintains that he had always the best intentions for Kallista, but many of his actions had been coerced by his mother's hand, causing an enormous distrust between him and Kallista. At tumultuous points in their relationship, Eli would find comfort in gorging on a number of women and closing himself off from her, fearful of his own temper and the jealousy he harbored for Dante Alexander, noting that he could smell her on her skin. Once they return from Europe, Eli proposes to Kallista, to which she does not offer him a definitive answer. He does not bear any resentment towards her, maintaining that he will always wait for her, because he believes her to be his only love, going so far as to losing his virginity to her outside of marriage, something that greatly contradicted his own personal values. Eli becomes broken-hearted after being forcibly separated from Kallista after he becomes High Inquisitor, and marries Moira Stanek at the behest of his mother. He tries to remain celibate, but is forced into sexual intercourse with her, which drives him into a deep depression and self-hatred. He helps Kallista save Kurai with the intentions of ending his own life, only to find out that during the events of Cinder, he was made a ''true immortal by drinking Kallista's blood. After the death of Dante Alexander, Eli proposes to Kallista again, saying that if they are both doomed to an eternity, that he would prefer to spend it with her than alone. The two get married, but refuse to have children, much to Kallista's candor. It is unknown if their relationship ever truly amends, or if they got married for fear of being alone. Trivia * Eli is an eighth grade proficient cellist, his favorite piece of music being Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G. * Eli has a taste for young women, preferably virgins, unbeknownst to him. * Eli has an irrational fear of clowns. * Eli's favorite color is yellow. * Eli is fluent in Latvian, English, French and German. * Eli views himself as a romantic, but had never been romantically involved with anyone before meeting Kallista. Category:Characters